Lobster Pie

This is old New England elegance in a pie dish. Chunks of lobster soaked in sherry butter, folded into a rich cream sauce thickened with egg yolks, then baked under a golden bread crumb topping.

The sherry-butter soak is the first step and it infuses the lobster with a nutty, wine-laced richness before it ever meets the sauce. Boiling the sherry briefly in melted butter cooks off the raw alcohol edge and concentrates the flavor.

Building the sauce takes care and patience. A butter-flour roux gets loosened with cream and the sherry drained from the lobster, then heated gently in a double boiler while stirring constantly. The double boiler is important here. Direct heat would scramble the egg yolks, but the gentle indirect heat lets them thicken the sauce into something velvety and custard-like without curdling.

A light scattering of bread crumbs on top browns quickly in the oven and adds the only crunch in an otherwise silky dish. This pairs beautifully with a simple green salad and crusty bread.

Chef Tips

• Use a double boiler or a bowl set over simmering water. The egg yolks will curdle over direct heat.
• Stir the sauce constantly during those 3 minutes in the double boiler. Even heat distribution is key.
• Don’t overbake. Ten minutes at low heat is just enough to brown the crumbs without drying out the seafood.
• Use fresh or freshly thawed lobster meat, well drained, for the best texture.

Variations

• Use crab meat or a mix of crab and lobster for a different shellfish flavor.
• Add a pinch of cayenne or Old Bay seasoning to the cream sauce.
• Top with buttered Ritz cracker crumbs instead of plain bread crumbs for extra richness.